Nashville, TN · Construction & Project Management

John Dillon

Construction Project Manager — 20+ Years Leading Multi-Trade (MEP) Coordination, Electrical Systems, Fire Protection & Commercial Build-Outs

20+Years Experience
5.0★Google (33 Reviews)
100%Facebook Recommend
14Yrs Fire/Rescue
John Dillon

About

Construction professional with 20+ years of experience spanning fire protection, emergency response, electrical systems, and general contracting. John began in the trades through a high school construction technology program, spent over a decade in fire and rescue service with Frederick County Fire and Rescue in Maryland, then went on to own and operate a commercial electrical contracting business in Nashville — personally running every side of it, from sales, estimating, and contracts to scheduling, employee management across multiple simultaneous job sites, accounting, licensing, insurance, and compliance — across a large and varied portfolio of commercial projects for national retail brands, automotive dealership groups, and general contractors.

Core Competencies

  • Project scheduling, budgeting & resource management
  • Sales, estimating & bidding
  • Contracts & RFI management
  • Employee & crew management across multiple job sites
  • Business operations — accounting, licensing, insurance & compliance
  • MEP (mechanical/electrical/plumbing) trade coordination
  • Subcontractor coordination & on-site supervision
  • Client relationship & stakeholder communication
  • Fire protection & life safety systems
  • Electrical systems installation & code compliance
  • Multi-site project management
  • Quality control & safety compliance
  • Emergency response & technical rescue

Trade Expertise

Click a category — verified background, not generic buzzwords.

  • Full commercial and residential electrical installation, troubleshooting, and repair — Master Electrician training and background.
  • Panel upgrades and service capacity work across retail, automotive dealership, and commercial properties.
  • Code-compliant installations, from initial rough-in through final inspection.
  • 24-hour emergency electrical response for commercial clients.
  • 14 years as a firefighter/EMT with Frederick County Fire and Rescue, Maryland (2004–2018).
  • Pro Board–accredited certifications: Firefighter II, Fire Officer I & II, Fire Instructor III, Fire Investigator, Hazmat Technician, and the full technical rescue lineup (confined space, structural collapse, trench, vehicle & machinery, I & II each).
  • Hands-on fire protection systems work, including commercial sprinkler system inspection.
  • Working knowledge of where fire/life-safety code and electrical code intersect — firestopping, egress lighting circuits, alarm and suppression system power.
  • Coordinated electrical scope with mechanical, plumbing, and other trades on multi-trade commercial build-outs.
  • Primary point of contact for general contractors managing tenant build-out schedules for national retail brands and automotive dealership groups.
  • Managed subcontractors, materials, and manpower across multiple simultaneous job sites to keep every trade on schedule.
  • Ran estimating, bidding, and contract/RFI management alongside the on-site coordination work.

Experience

2020 – 2024

Owner / Operator — IKON Electric (Nashville Electrical Contracting)

IKON Electric service truck outside Tanger Outlets, Nashville
  • Managed the full project lifecycle for commercial and residential electrical contracts — from initial client contact, estimating, and scope definition through scheduling, execution, and project close-out.
  • Directly managed and supervised employees across multiple simultaneous job sites, frequently working extended hours (up to six days a week) to keep every site on schedule and every client deadline met.
  • Prepared project estimates and bids, and coordinated subcontractors, materials, and manpower across multiple simultaneous project sites to meet deadlines and budget targets.
  • Served as primary point of contact for general contractors, property owners, and national retail brands throughout project execution, ensuring clear communication and consistent quality.
  • Maintained and grew client relationships from initial estimate through project completion, building strong, repeat business with general contractors and commercial clients through reliable delivery and responsive problem-solving on-site.
  • Built the business to a 5.0★ rating across 33 Google reviews and a 100% recommend rate on Facebook — see the Reviews section.
  • Ran every side of the business as sole owner-operator: sales, contracts and RFIs, bidding, accounting and taxes, licensing, insurance, and compliance — in addition to managing the work itself.

Representative Clients & Projects

  • Tanger Outlets — multiple tenant build-outs, including Puma, Lids, Victoria's Secret, Under Armour, and Nike
  • Chrysler Dodge Plymouth of Franklin — first commercial client; multiple projects over time
  • Mercedes-Benz of Franklin
  • Nissan Franklin and Toyota Franklin — automotive dealership electrical work
  • Pilot Travel Centers
  • Benco Construction
  • Store Crafters
  • Everlast Epoxy
  • Design Build Contractors
  • Plus dozens of additional commercial and residential clients across the greater Nashville area
~2018 – 2020

Fire Protection Technician / Specialist

  • Serviced, inspected, and maintained commercial fire suppression and life-safety systems, building a strong working foundation in life safety systems and commercial construction code compliance.
  • Experience that carried directly into electrical contracting — both trades share the same discipline around code compliance, life safety, and getting it right the first time.
2004 – 2018

Firefighter / EMS — Frederick County Fire and Rescue (Frederick County, MD)

  • 14 years of fire and rescue service, including structural firefighting, technical/rope rescue, and emergency medical response.
  • Trained and operated as part of coordinated crews in live-fire and technical rescue scenarios.
  • Built a foundation in high-pressure, safety-critical teamwork that carried directly into a construction career built on reliability and doing the job right.

Fire & Rescue Background

Before construction, John spent 14 years as a firefighter/EMT with Frederick County Fire and Rescue in Maryland (2004–2018) — structural firefighting, technical rope rescue, and emergency medical response. After relocating to Tennessee, his Pro Board–accredited certifications were formally recognized by the Tennessee Commission on Firefighting via reciprocity in 2020, affiliated with Williamson County Fire Rescue. That background in life-safety systems and high-pressure teamwork is part of what shows up in the way IKON Electric ran: careful, code-compliant, and accountable.

Certifications (Pro Board accredited)

Fire Service & Command

  • Firefighter II
  • Fire Officer I
  • Fire Officer II
  • Fire Instructor III
  • Fire Investigator

Hazmat

  • Hazardous Materials Technician

Technical Rescue

  • Confined Space Rescue I & II
  • Structural Collapse Rescue I & II
  • Trench Rescue I & II
  • Vehicle & Machinery Rescue I & II

All certifications Pro Board–accredited; recognized valid in Tennessee via reciprocity by the TN Commission on Firefighting, August 2020.

How I Run a Job Site

The operating standards behind the reviews — not a slogan, an actual checklist.

  • Verified compliance checklists — used daily on every active site, not just at close-out.
  • Pre- and post-installation code checks — catching issues before drywall goes up, not after.
  • Subcontractor accountability reviews — regular check-ins on schedule, quality, and safety across every trade on site.
  • Clear, direct client communication — status updates and honest timelines, not surprises at the end.

Background & Training

  • Master Electrician training and background — deep working knowledge of electrical systems, code, and commercial installations.
  • Member, Associated General Contractors of Tennessee (AGC TN) — joined October 2023.
  • 14 years of fire and rescue / EMS experience with Frederick County Fire and Rescue, Maryland.
  • Thomas Edison High School of Technology construction program graduate — built two residential homes as part of the program, both of which sold within days of completion.
  • 20+ years of total commercial construction experience spanning fire protection, electrical systems, and general contracting.

Reviews

Real, verifiable reviews — click through to see them live on Google and Facebook.

Google — 5.0★ (33 reviews)

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"Great job very pleasant people explained everything that I needed to know thank you highly recommend this company" — John Buchanan
"Kind, efficient, communicative. Excellent in all ways." — Sheri Owen, Local Guide
"Hands down the most responsive, friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and KIND!!! Will never use anyone else!" — Tiffany Edmondson
"IKON ELECTRIC SERVICES .... a great bunch of guys, they get the job done in a timely and professional manner, i recommend them highly." — Vickie Cannon, Local Guide
"The technician assessed the situation and explained everything to me what was going on and he reassured me it wouldn't be an expensive fix. I appreciated that he took the time to explain everything." — Robin Poor, Local Guide
"I highly recommend Ikon Electric Services Inc. they are willing to help their customers and ensure the problems your having are addressed." — Dave Cafferata, Local Guide

Facebook — 100% Recommend (7 reviews)

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"These guys have been great from start to finish. Our Electrician John was so communicative and friendly. He went above and beyond for a commercial job that we hired him for. I would highly recommend Ikon Electric!" — Sally Forin
"They have a good crew and they actually work. Their care for their work and customers is great. Top of my list." — Richard Bennett
"Very efficient and pleasant. Had the tools and equipment necessary and found the problem fairly quickly. I would recommend them." — Jane Sheehan
"This company gets the job done! They make an appointment and show up and do a good job." — Karen Terry
"They are absolutely amazing an do a wonderful job." — Rickie Hill

Get in Touch

Based in the Nashville, TN area. Send a message and I'll get back to you.